Mommy's Here
by Hidden-Shadow-of-Me
Summary: "We've found a way- to make things right." Mary Margaret and David will have their happily ever after, even if they have to change the story. Dark!SnowWhite, Dark!PrinceCharming


"Mommy, mommy!" The little girl raced through the garden, past the cultured rose bushes and tall fountains. Her little slippers weren't meant for the rough outdoors, but she couldn't stay in the castle a moment longer- she needed her mommy, _and she couldn't find her_! The queen had promised never to leave her princess alone, had promised!

But as she rounded a corner, still hollering loud enough for the birds to take flight- she found her. Gentle, benevolent, beautiful mother. The black-haired woman turned, eyes widening at the site of her daughter's appearance. "Darling, what are you doing?"

"_What are you doing?" She turned to face Mary- her mother. Her and David had been acting strange, ever since they claimed they found a way home. But now she was worried, because Mary had brought her to Regina- who was standing next to her father? "Mary, what's going on?"_

"It happened again! You promised it wouldn't, but it did! I _saw _her!" The little one burst into tears, unable to handle the wall of emotions that were overwhelming her. This always happened, always after the dream. She would want her mommy, but she wouldn't. She would love her mommy, but be so scared she just wanted to run away. In fact, she had the first few times. Daddy had to search for her, and her mother had been so worried.

"Oh sweetie, again? Was it the same- the dream in the woods?" Her mother knelt before her, uncaring of her own fine clothes. She always treated these dreams differently. The little princess had woken to bad dreams of ogres, bandits and even her mommy being mad. But whenever she had the nightmare that involved _that person_, her mommy would be extra worried, extra focused on helping her. "I'm so sorry baby, I'm so sorry for not being there."

"_I'm going to make up for the wrong I've caused you, Emma." Snow always looked so _compassionate_, so _sensitive _to others and their feelings. The greatest princess in all the fairy tales Henry had shown her._

"_Excuse me?" She eyed the trio, years on the run urging her to notice the important things- like how they never told anyone they were leaving, how no one was around to help if any was needed. How she didn't see Henry that day. "Mary, you haven't-"_

"_I'm your _mother_, Emma." Snow White pulled herself straighter, even as her tone firmed her eyes remained that well of compassion. "And I never gave you a chance to be my daughter. To have a happily ever after with your family."_

"The people that were you but weren't you were there." The princess wiped her eyes and nestled into her mother's hold. She never liked when they were there, because _that person _didn't see them the way she saw her mommy- and sometimes the dream would confuse her so she thought the person's feelings were _hers_. She didn't want to see mommy that way.

She never wanted to be so scared of mommy and daddy.

"_We talked about this- remember? It's over with, it's done, leave it alone." Emma backed up unconsciously. They were standing by Regina as a unified front- it didn't make sense, none of it did._

"_No, Emma. We can't leave it alone, and we don't have to." Prince Charming came forward, hands spread in a calming gesture, the motions of a born leader. "We've found a way- to make things right." _

Henry, where's Henry, where's anyone? _But she ignored her thoughts, because what David was saying seemed important, the reason they brought her here. So she pushed passed the whispering warnings, fought against every instinct in her, and listened to what her family had to say._

"Let me make it up to you- would you like to visit Henry later this week? He and his mother are going to visit for your birthday, and you know how much he adores you!"

The princess brightened up at that. She loved Henry! Henry always made her feel bright and smiley, just like her parents. His mommy made her nervous, but her mommy always said that Henry's family is just a bit more stern then theirs. If you asked her, Henry was more like her family than his own- but she didn't say things like that. Whenever she did, her mommy would act funny.

"My little flower?" The queen looked down at her, drawing her back to the present. "Would you like that?"

She nodded emphatically, wrapping her hands around her mother's neck. "It's a wonderful idea, mommy!"

"_Are you crazy?!" Emma should have listened to herself, should have left right away. "How could you think this was for the best? What about what _I _want? What about _my _life? Henry's life!"_

"_Regina will still be his mother, her price for freedom is if she does this, and abandons her quest against us." Snow White said it as if this would placate her- as if _her_ response to their proposal was over the top._

"_You know I want what's best for him." Regina concurred, her voice a smidge too pleased for the occasion, and David glared at her for it._

"_It's not what I want!" Emma shouted emphatically, wondering if they had always been this insane, this driven to do something so twisted._

"Mommy?" The little girl glanced back up at her mother. They were walking back, and she didn't know if her mom would get mad, but- "I have a question."

"Yes, my heart?" The queen looked down, her gaze more loving than the princess could ever comprehend. She didn't want that expression to change, but she had to ask.

"Why does the lady in my dream never want to be a family with the other yous?"

The queen stopped, and the little girl feared she may have upset her mother, because she knows she's asked this before and had gotten in trouble. But the regal woman simply kneeled back down, looking deep into her little one's eyes. "She does, precious. From what you've told me, it's not the family she's afraid of, but the change."

"_It _is _what you want,_ _Emma." Snow White stepped forward, her husband right behind her. "You wanted to be loved as a child, cared for, protected. We can give you that and more! We'll be a family, like we were always meant to be."_

_Emma shook her head, feeling what little spot of home she had found in Storybrooke's world crumbling to ruins in fear. "The town won't let you do this- they'll never agree, this is wrong."_

"_The town will side with their Queen, Emma. And their King." David came forward, his steps falling with purpose. _

_Emma backed up further. "Henry won't! Henry will never forgive you for this!"_

"_Henry won't remember this, Miss Swan." The Evil Queen began to follow Prince Charming's actions, approaching the retreating Sheriff. "Or rather, he won't remember _you_."_

_She suddenly recognized what they were doing- the reason for their approach- to keep her from running._

_But she ran anyway._

"I don't like how scared she is." The princess toyed with her hair, fighting down the new wave of fear as the memory resurfaced. "I don't like the yous in the dream world."

"I know, little one. I promise, we'll find a way to protect you from these dreams."

"But," the tears _did _start to form now, again welling in the bright blue eyes, "_I _don't need protection, the lady does! I want to protect the lady!"

_They had raised a barrier- Regina's handy work. Emma quickly found it was a circle, and couldn't escape. She pounded at the force field, yelling for anyone- Gold, Hook, _Henry_!_

_Hands grabbed her from behind, restraining her as gently as possible and rushing out words meant to calm her. Words any father would try to say to calm his panicked daughter. "It will be over quick. Don't struggle. We're right here, we won't leave you."_

_She had trained her body to evade attackers- but her father trained to be a fighting knight. She wasn't going to win. Soon Prince Charming released her, and her body was held in place by the Evil Queen's magic. Snow White stepped forward, her expression still understanding, but a murky darkness echoed beneath it now- a selfish darkness. "Don't do this." Emma could actually feel tears forming, and was thrown by the notion. She hadn't cried in years. "Don't do this Mary, this isn't right!"_

"_It's all right Emma," Snow stroked her daughter's face, memorizing the features one last time. "We'll be happy- _together_- like none of this _ever _happened."_

"_You can't erase me that easily." Emma's words came out sharper than she thought possible- she had never talked to Mary that way. Had never had a reason to._

"_We aren't erasing you, we're giving you the life you deserve." She stepped away, her expressions set. "Even if you don't want it." Regina stepped forward, the smirk still dancing over her face._

"I know it seems scary, but the lady doesn't need protecting, my heart. Even though you can't see it, I know the brave woman you see in your dreams has a happily ever after."

The princess nodded, but couldn't stop the tears, the inexplicable feeling of _injustice _and _wrong _that she dreamed of so many times. The queen made a cooing noise, stretching out her arms and crushing the compliant little girl to her heart. "We'll fix this dear; me and your father will always fix it."

Unable to hold it back, the blond girl wept anew, clinging to her mother. "I don't want to see her anymore! That person scares me, mommy!"

"I know, Emma. I promise, we'll make it right." She held the girl close, whispering comforting words. "Don't cry anymore, heart. I have you forever more, mommy won't let you go."

_Emma tried to struggle- tried to fight. She started to cry, feeling the memories and events- _who she was_- forcibly taken from her mind. She screamed when her body began to burn, _melt_. She cried for help, for relief, for anything- but could only hear the sound of Mary who had at some point come forward and now stroked her hair, held her close. Until everything else faded forever, with the last words echoing in her empty mind._

"_It's okay, it will be fine, Emma. Mommy's here."_

**Yeah, as twisted as this makes me- I've toyed with this thought for forever. If Snow was just a bit darker, just a bit more selfish- but still retaining her unbending love for her daughter, I can see her talking **_**everyone **_**into this decision. And Emma Swan… would be gone.**

**I guess this would take place before season 3, since I'm not that far in the show yet. :P**


End file.
